Chief Operating Officer

Harper May Ltd; City Of London; On-site; GBP 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Harper May is partnering with a London-based financial services firm to appoint a Chief Operating Officer who will run the firm’s day-to-day operations, technology, risk and compliance. The role reports to the CEO and requires hands-on leadership across multiple jurisdictions and entities.

Ideal candidates will have prior COO/Head of Operations experience in regulated markets, with a proven track record of building and leading operational teams in a lean, high-trust environment and a strong

Qualifications

• Proven COO or Head of Operations in a regulated financial services firm or market infrastructure.
• Experience owning P&L for operations and technology.
• Comfortable operating across multiple jurisdictions and entities.

Responsibilities

• Own day-to-day operations including technology and support functions.
• Lead operations, trade support, settlement and client services teams.
• Partner with CEO on strategy, priorities and growth plan.
• Oversee risk, compliance and regulatory agenda across UK and international entities.
• Drive operational efficiency, automation and technology roadmap.
• Represent the firm at senior counterparty, regulator and client level.
• Build and develop the operational leadership team.
• Manage operating budget, cost base and capital allocation.
• Support board reporting on performance, risk and controls.

Skills

Operational leadership

Regulated FS experience

P&L ownership

Technology management

Risk & compliance

Regulatory awareness

Cross-functional leadership

Job description

Harper May is partnering with an established, London-based specialist financial services firm that provides market infrastructure to institutional participants in regulated international markets. The business is owner-led, profitable, long-established and operates globally through a network of counterparties across the UK, the Middle East and Asia. A Chief Operating Officer is being appointed to run the firm day to day alongside the senior leadership team and take ownership of the operational engine across the business.

The Role

Reporting to the CEO and working closely with the senior leadership team, the COO will carry end-to-end responsibility for the operations of the firm. This is a hands-on executive seat rather than a strategy-only brief, suited to a senior operator who has run a regulated financial services or market infrastructure business before and is comfortable owning the P&L of operations, technology, risk and compliance in a lean, high-trust environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the day-to-day running of the firm's operational, technology and support functions
• Lead the operations, trade support, settlement and client services teams across the group
• Partner with the CEO and the leadership team on strategy, commercial priorities and the firm's growth plan
• Oversee the risk, compliance and regulatory agenda across UK and international entities
• Drive operational efficiency, process automation and the ongoing technology roadmap
• Represent the firm at senior counterparty, regulator and client level
• Lead, develop and build out the operational leadership team
• Own the operating budget, cost base and capital allocation for the functions in scope
• Support board reporting on operational performance, risk and controls

What we are looking for

• Proven COO, Deputy COO or Head of Operations track record inside a regulated financial services firm, market infrastructure business, broker-dealer, asset manager, trading firm or similar
• Strong operational, technology and risk management credentials
• Comfortable operating across multiple jurisdictions and multiple entities
• Credible at CEO and board level, with a track record of building and leading operational teams
• Commercial, pragmatic and genuinely hands‑on; the firm runs lean and the role goes with it
• Prior experience in Islamic finance, international wholesale markets, commodities or a similar specialist environment is a plus but not essential
• Based within a comfortable commute of central London; office‑first culture